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OrthoInfo, the patient website of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, describes a broken femur as a fracture of the thigh bone; doctors also call it a femur fracture or femoral fracture. Here you will find court awards, treatment and recovery information, and the insurance and state rules for a claim after a crash or fall.
How much is a broken femur settlement worth?
Broken femur settlements have a national range of $150,000 to $400,000. Surgery, recovery time, lasting limits, and lost work affect the claim.
The Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, kept a $25,000 pain and suffering award in an unpublished 2011 crash case involving a broken femur and facial fractures. The New York Appellate Division kept already-reduced awards of $1.5 million for past pain and suffering and $2 million for future pain and suffering over 10 years in a 2015 crash case involving a broken femur and other injuries.
Nine of the ten states in the insurance table require $25,000 to $50,000 in bodily injury coverage per person; the Florida laws shown in that table require none. The national range begins at $150,000, so the other driver’s policy limit can be less than the value of your claim. If your own policy includes underinsured motorist coverage, that coverage can pay the rest up to its own limit. Submit your claim details to the free AI calculator with attorney review.
Broken femur settlement facts
Last updated
- Settlement range
- Broken femur settlements range from $150,000 to $400,000.
- Surgery
- The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says broken femurs almost always need surgery.
- Bone healing
- OrthoInfo says most femur shaft fractures heal in 3 to 6 months.
- Serious injury
- New York’s no-fault law lists a fracture as a serious injury.
- Driver coverage
- Illinois, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada require $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person.
- Court award
- An Illinois appeals court kept a $25,000 pain and suffering award for all injuries.
Sources: national injury guides below; Orthopaedic Trauma Association; OrthoInfo; New York Court of Appeals; Illinois law; Georgia insurance agency; Arizona law; Nevada law; Illinois Appellate Court’s unpublished 2011 order; and New York Appellate Division’s 2015 opinion. Submit your treatment and claim details to the free AI calculator with attorney review.
What are broken femur settlement amounts?
The national settlement range for a broken femur is $150,000 to $400,000. The other rows cover hip injuries (two rows), several bones broken in one crash, and loss of a leg, with a guide for each.
| Injury | Settlement range |
|---|---|
| Broken femur | $150,000 - $400,000 |
| Several broken bones in one crash | $150,000 - $500,000+ |
| Hip fracture needing surgery | $100,000 - $300,000 |
| Hip replacement or broken hip socket | $250,000 - $1,000,000+ |
| Loss of a leg | $500,000 - $5,000,000+ |
Source: national ranges by injury from the broken bone, hip injury, and amputation guides linked on this page, current as of November 3, 2026.
The broken bone guide covers a broken tibia or fibula in the lower leg. For a broken femur claim, document the hospital stay, surgery, therapy, time away from work, and lasting pain or changes in how you walk. Include the cost of a later operation to remove hardware or help an unhealed bone among the claim’s future medical expenses. The other driver’s policy limit and your state’s no-fault test also affect the claim.
What have juries awarded for a broken femur?
Juries in these cases awarded very different amounts, and appeals courts kept some awards and ordered changes to others. Every amount below covers all injuries in that case, not the broken femur by itself. Courts use “damages” to name the money awarded. Here, pain and suffering refers to what the courts call “non-economic damages” or “intangible damages.”
| State, court, year | What happened | Injury and treatment | Amounts | Court’s decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas, Court of Appeals, Amarillo, March 21, 2000. Estrada v. Dillon. Published; an older case. | A truck struck the back of a tractor-trailer. The jury assigned each driver 50% of the fault. | The injured driver had 12 breaks in his right femur, a torn ligament behind his left knee, five broken ribs, two pelvis cracks, damaged teeth, and bruising. Surgeons used a plate and screws, then a graft of bone from his pelvis. His doctor testified that knee motion was permanently reduced. | The jury awarded $1,000 for past physical pain and mental anguish, $1,500 for past lost earning capacity, and $47,000 for past medical care. The jury gave nothing for future pain, future medical care, physical impairment, or disfigurement. | The court found that the evidence did not support awarding nothing for past physical impairment. The court ordered a new trial on all damages, leaving liability unchanged. |
Illinois, Appellate Court, First District, February 1, 2011. Lewis v. Avila. Unpublished order under Supreme Court Rule 23. | A front-seat passenger was injured in an intersection crash in Chicago. Firefighters cut her out. The jury cleared one driver and held the other liable. | The passenger’s femur broke in several places and needed a rod. Facial fractures also required surgery, and her jaw stayed wired shut for two months. After 11 days in the hospital, she needed therapy to learn to walk again, a wheelchair at home, and help eating and showering. Her surgeon described disability for a limited period and permanent scars. | The jury awarded $69,531.85 in total: $34,531.85 for medical care, $5,000 for disfigurement, $25,000 for pain and suffering, and $5,000 for disability. | The passenger challenged the amount as too low. The court left the award in place, finding that her belief that she deserved more did not warrant another trial. |
Florida, District Court of Appeal, Fourth District, July 27, 2011. Adams v. Saavedra. Published. | A motor scooter and a car collided. The jury found a permanent injury. | The rider’s right femur broke into several pieces and required a rod with locking screws. An eye-socket fracture required a titanium plate and screws; he also had migraines. He spent one week in the hospital, two months on bed rest, and six weeks on crutches, followed by rehabilitation. Cold brought stabbing leg pain that stopped sports, and he was unable to run. | The jury awarded $18,992.86 for past medical care, $1,595 for past lost earnings, $45,000 for future medical care, $200,000 for past pain and suffering, and $375,000 for future pain and suffering. | The trial judge cut pain and suffering by 40%; the parties agreed to reduce future medical care to $17,000. The appeals court reversed the judge’s reduction and directed judgment on the jury’s verdict apart from that agreed medical reduction. |
Florida, District Court of Appeal, Fifth District, January 5, 2018. Gustavsson v. Holder. Published. | A car hit a pedestrian. The jury assigned 1% of the fault to the driver and 99% to the pedestrian. | A displaced right femur required a titanium rod. Three infections over three years involved MRSA, a germ resistant to common antibiotics, and required at least four more operations, including rod removal. Hospital stays exceeded 18 weeks. A defense doctor rated permanent impairment at 25%. | The jury awarded $507,667.95 for medical damages and initially nothing for pain and suffering. After the judge sent the jury back, it awarded $1,000 for past pain and suffering and $1,000 for future pain and suffering. | The appeals court ruled that past pain and suffering was legally inadequate. The court sent the case back for an increased award or a new trial on past pain and suffering. |
Colorado, Court of Appeals, January 12, 2023, and July 3, 2025. Mukendi v. Schrock, unpublished. The Supreme Court of Colorado denied review on November 10, 2025. | The other driver crossed the center line and hit the injured man’s car head-on. The jury found that the other driver’s negligence caused the crash. | The court described multiple leg fractures, one open, and broken ribs and sternum. The injured driver’s brief says his left femur pierced the skin. He had three surgeries during 11 days in a trauma center. | The injured driver’s brief lists $772,480 for economic losses, $500,000 for pain and suffering, and $1,477,520 for physical impairment from a $2.75 million verdict. Retrial awards were about $765,000 for economic losses, including nearly $725,000 for medical expenses. | The trial judge wrongly excluded a defense billing expert, so only economic losses were retried. The appeals court upheld the new judgment after the retrial judge excluded the expert’s value opinion as unreliable. |
New York, Appellate Division, December 3, 2015. Coleman v. New York City Transit Authority. | A car and a transit authority vehicle crashed. The injured woman was not driving. | The injuries included a permanently injured right leg, a broken right femur needing surgery, a meniscus tear needing arthroscopic surgery, a head cut with headaches and dizziness, a bulging lower-back disc, and depression. | Awards already reduced by agreement were $1.5 million for past pain and suffering, $2 million for future pain and suffering over 10 years, $97,600 for past lost earnings, and $728,000 for future lost earnings over 35 years. | The court kept the pain and suffering awards. The court ordered a new trial on future lost earnings unless the woman accepted $520,000 over 25 years for that item. |
New York, Appellate Division, May 14, 2013. Hamer v. City of New York. | A fall: a 60-year-old woman tripped on raised sidewalk concrete. The jury assigned her 75% of the fault. | Her left femur broke directly above the knee. Surgeons repaired the break with a plate and screws. | The jury awarded $40,000 for past pain and suffering and $15,000 for future pain and suffering for one year. | The court found that the awards materially departed from reasonable compensation and ordered a new trial on liability and damages. |
Each amount covers every injury in that case. The fault percentages show what the jury found, not how much money was collected.
Sources: Estrada v. Dillon, 23 S.W.3d 422, Court of Appeals of Texas, Amarillo, March 21, 2000; Lewis v. Avila, No. 1-09-2957, Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, February 1, 2011 (unpublished, Rule 23 order; the court's own copy); Adams v. Saavedra, 65 So. 3d 1185, District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District, July 27, 2011; Gustavsson v. Holder, 236 So. 3d 476, District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District, January 5, 2018; Mukendi v. Schrock, No. 21CA1710, Colorado Court of Appeals, January 12, 2023 (not published); Mukendi v. Schrock, No. 24CA0740, Colorado Court of Appeals, July 3, 2025 (not published); Schrock v. Mukendi, No. 25SC463, Supreme Court of Colorado, November 10, 2025 (review denied); Answer brief of the injured driver, No. 2021CA1710, Colorado Court of Appeals, filed June 27, 2022; Coleman v. New York City Transit Authority, 134 A.D.3d 427, New York Appellate Division, December 3, 2015; Hamer v. City of New York, 106 A.D.3d 504, New York Appellate Division, May 14, 2013
Is a broken femur considered a serious injury?
New York’s no-fault law lists a fracture as a serious injury; Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Utah also name fractures in their tests. New Jersey names displaced fractures for people who chose the limitation-on-lawsuit option. Florida, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania do not name fractures in these lists.
A no-fault law limits a lawsuit against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering unless the injury meets a test in the statute. That test is called a threshold. Here is what the laws in these twelve states say.
| State | Names a fracture? | The statute’s words | Other ways past the test | State guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Kansas | Yes, specified fractures. | “a fracture to a weightbearing bone, a compound, comminuted, displaced or compressed fracture” | Treatment with a reasonable value of $2,000 or more, permanent injury, and other listed conditions (K.S.A. 40-3117). | No guide listed. |
Kentucky | Yes. | “a fracture to a bone” | Medical expense benefits exceeding $1,000 and other listed conditions. Kentucky permits written rejection of the tort limit before a crash (KRS 304.39-060(2)(b) and (4)). | |
Massachusetts | Yes. | “(5) consists of a fracture” | Medical expenses exceeding $2,000 (G.L. c. 231, section 6D). | |
New York | Yes. | “a fracture” | The law also includes other serious-injury categories, such as inability to perform substantially all usual daily activities for at least 90 of the first 180 days (Insurance Law 5102(d)). | |
Utah | Yes. | “(v) a bone fracture” | Medical expenses exceeding $3,000 (Utah Code 31A-22-309(1)(a), effective May 6, 2026). | |
New Jersey | Yes, displaced fractures, for the limitation-on-lawsuit option. | “displaced fractures” | A displaced fracture meets the test; a non-displaced fracture must be permanent to meet it. The Supreme Court of New Jersey describes a displaced fracture as a more serious break in which the bone separates completely. The policyholder chooses the limitation-on-lawsuit option for a lower premium; this test applies to policies with that option (N.J.S.A. 39:6A-8(a)). | |
Florida | No. | “Permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, other than scarring or disfigurement” | Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death. No dollar test (Fla. Stat. 627.737(2)). | |
Hawaii | No. | “a significant permanent loss of use of a part or function of the body” | Other routes include personal injury protection benefits of $5,000 or more (HRS 431:10C-306(b)). | No guide listed. |
Michigan | No. | “death, serious impairment of body function, or permanent serious disfigurement” | The impairment must be observable or perceivable through actual symptoms or conditions by someone besides the injured person. The law sets no minimum duration for the impairment (MCL 500.3135, amended in 2019). | |
Minnesota | No. | “permanent disfigurement”, “permanent injury”, or “disability for 60 days or more” | Medical and other listed costs exceeding $4,000, or death. Disability means inability to perform substantially all usual daily activities. Minn. Stat. 65B.51, subd. 3. | No guide listed. |
North Dakota | No. | “death, dismemberment, serious and permanent disfigurement or disability beyond sixty days” | Medical expenses exceeding $2,500 (N.D.C.C. 26.1-41-01 and 26.1-41-08). | No guide listed. |
Pennsylvania | No; this test applies to people bound by limited tort. | “death, serious impairment of body function or permanent serious disfigurement” | A person with full tort remains eligible to seek pain and suffering compensation. 75 Pa.C.S. 1702 and 1705. |
The New York Court of Appeals opinion quotes New York’s statutory text. The New Jersey Supreme Court opinion quotes that state’s text, and the Appellate Division opinion explains the rule for a non-displaced fracture.
Sources: K.S.A. 40-3117; KRS 304.39-060; Massachusetts General Laws chapter 231, section 6D; Raffellini v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., 9 N.Y.3d 196, New York Court of Appeals, November 15, 2007; Utah Code 31A-22-309 (effective May 6, 2026); DiProspero v. Penn, 183 N.J. 477, Supreme Court of New Jersey, June 14, 2005; Kennelly-Murray v. Megill, 381 N.J. Super. 303, New Jersey Appellate Division, November 17, 2005; Fla. Stat. 627.737 (2026); HRS 431:10C-306; MCL 500.3135; Minn. Stat. 65B.51; N.D.C.C. chapter 26.1-41; Pennsylvania: 75 Pa.C.S. 1702 and 1705
Is the other driver’s insurance enough?
The other driver’s policy can be smaller than a broken femur claim. The national range starts at $150,000, while the minimum bodily injury liability coverage in the states below, except Florida, is $25,000 to $50,000 per person. A policy limit is the most that policy pays for one person’s injury.
| State | Minimum bodily injury liability, per person | Source |
|---|---|---|
| California | $30,000; policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025. | Vehicle Code 16056(a)(2) |
| Texas | $30,000; effective January 1, 2011. | Transportation Code 601.072(a-1) |
| Illinois | $25,000 | 625 ILCS 5/7-203 |
| Georgia | $25,000 | Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire |
| Florida | No bodily injury liability requirement in these two statutes; see the required coverage below. | 324.022 and 627.733 |
| Arizona | $25,000; policies issued or renewed beginning July 1, 2020. | Arizona law: A.R.S. 28-4009(A)(2)(b) |
| Washington | $25,000 | Washington law: RCW 46.29.090(1) |
| Colorado | $25,000 | Colorado law: C.R.S. 10-4-620, 2024 printout |
| Virginia | $50,000; policies effective on or after January 1, 2025. | Virginia law: Va. Code 46.2-472(B) |
| Nevada | $25,000 | Nevada law: NRS 485.185(1) |
Florida requires $10,000 in property damage liability under its financial responsibility statute and personal injury protection security under its insurance statute; neither of those provisions requires bodily injury liability coverage. Florida’s personal injury protection pays up to $10,000 in medical and disability benefits from your own policy under its benefits statute.
Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy can pay the remaining covered loss up to its limit. Texas law provides for damages the insured is legally entitled to recover, limited to the policy amount and reduced by money recovered or recoverable from the underinsured driver’s insurer. Texas permits a named insured to reject that coverage in writing. Use the underinsured motorist claim guide when reviewing your own policy.
Sources: California Vehicle Code 16056 (operative January 1, 2025); Texas Transportation Code chapter 601; 625 ILCS 5/7-203; Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, "Auto"; Fla. Stat. 324.022 (2026); Fla. Stat. 627.733 (2026); Fla. Stat. 627.736 (2026); A.R.S. 28-4009; RCW 46.29.090; C.R.S. title 10 (10-4-620), Colorado Revised Statutes 2024; Va. Code 46.2-472; NRS chapter 485; Texas Insurance Code chapter 1952
How does a crash break the femur?
OrthoInfo calls the femur the “longest and strongest bone in your body.” OrthoInfo says the femur usually takes substantial force to break, with motor vehicle collisions the leading cause. OrthoInfo places the femur shaft below the hip and above the widening near the knee; it is the long middle part of the thigh bone. Breaks at the top of the femur belong with hip fractures.
OrthoInfo lists car and motorcycle crashes, being struck by a car while walking, and falls from heights among causes of a broken femur shaft. OrthoInfo says a fall from standing may break the femur shaft in an older person whose bones are weaker, including from osteoporosis. StatPearls, the National Library of Medicine’s clinical reference updated January 2, 2023, describes high-force injuries in young people and lower-force injuries in older people. The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says a break at the lower end of the femur can follow a forceful crash in a young person or a simple fall in an older person with weaker bones.
In a 2013 study, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers described contact with the knee bolster, the padded lower dashboard in front of the knees, as a common way frontal crashes cause knee, thigh, and hip fractures. At one Los Angeles trauma center from 1995 to 2006, a study of 6,652 people hit by cars found that 1,936, or 29%, had tibia or femur fractures. The pedestrian accident guide covers claims after being hit while walking.
A study of motorcycle riders hospitalized in Maryland from 1998 to 2002 found that the lower limbs were the most commonly injured body region, followed by the upper limbs. Use the motorcycle accident guide for a rider’s claim. The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says people with broken femurs often have other injuries, some of which can threaten life. Cleveland Clinic calls a broken femur a serious injury requiring immediate medical care.
Words in the surgery report
OrthoInfo calls a bone broken into three or more pieces “comminuted.” OrthoInfo calls a fracture “displaced” when the bone pieces are out of line and “closed” when the skin stays intact. For an open or compound fracture, OrthoInfo says the bone or the blow that caused the injury may pierce the skin.
Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo, "Femur Shaft Fractures (Broken Thighbone)"; OrthoInfo, "Fractures (Broken Bones)"; Orthopaedic Trauma Association, "Distal Femur Fracture (Broken Thigh Bone Near the Knee)"; StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf, "Femoral Shaft Fractures" (last updated January 2, 2023); Patel and others, Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2013; Hannon and others, Journal of Trauma, 2009 (Los Angeles); Dischinger and others, Annual Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, 2006 (Maryland motorcyclists); Orthopaedic Trauma Association, "Femoral Shaft Fracture (Thigh Bone Break)"; Cleveland Clinic, "Femur Fracture" (last updated June 9, 2026)
What happens in broken femur surgery?
The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says broken femurs almost always need surgery. OrthoInfo says most are fixed within 24 to 48 hours, although other life-threatening injuries or unstable medical conditions sometimes need to be stabilized first.
OrthoInfo says the method most surgeons use for a broken femur shaft puts a metal rod inside the bone across the break. OrthoInfo calls the rod an intramedullary nail. OrthoInfo says the rod enters through the hip or knee, and screws above and below the break hold the leg in line while the bone heals. OrthoInfo says plates and screws are often used when a rod may not be possible, including a break that reaches the hip or knee joint. Cleveland Clinic calls the most common operation open reduction and internal fixation and says the surgeon usually places a rod through the center of the femur.
A 2022 study of 108,825 adults with a femur shaft fracture of one leg at United States trauma centers from 2007 to 2015 found that 74.2% had fixation within 24 hours, 16.5% between 24 and 48 hours, and 9.4% after more than 48 hours. For a break at the lower end of the femur, OrthoInfo says surgery typically happens 1 to 3 days after the doctor first sees the patient.
How long do you stay in the hospital?
The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says patients will probably stay in the hospital for a few days after surgery, with nurses and therapists helping them begin walking. The association says crutches or a walker might be needed and a rehabilitation or nursing facility may be needed. The 2022 United States trauma-center study of adults with a femur shaft fracture from 2007 to 2015 found an average hospital stay of 9.39 days; many patients also had other injuries. MedlinePlus recommends asking the surgeon for a trained caregiver at home if no one is available to help during the first 1 to 2 weeks.
Does a rod stay in the femur?
MedlinePlus says rods and plates do not need another surgery for removal most of the time. StatPearls says implants stay in place unless there is a reason to remove them. A study of one trauma surgeon’s Calgary, Canada, practice from 1990 to 2003 found rod removal after 20% of femur shaft fractures, or 15 of 74, all for pain or irritation. In a 1993 Canadian study of 47 adults, 20 patients, or 43%, developed implant-related pain after healing; the study reported pain relief after removal in 85% of that group.
Sources: Orthopaedic Trauma Association, "Femoral Shaft Fracture (Thigh Bone Break)"; American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo, "Femur Shaft Fractures (Broken Thighbone)"; Cleveland Clinic, "Femur Fracture" (last updated June 9, 2026); Obey and others, Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, 2022 (National Trauma Data Bank, 2007 to 2015); OrthoInfo, "Distal Femur (Thighbone) Fractures of the Knee"; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, "Femur fracture repair - discharge" (reviewed November 7, 2024); StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf, "Femoral Shaft Fractures" (last updated January 2, 2023); Hui and others, Canadian Journal of Surgery, 2007; Bednar and Ali, Canadian Journal of Surgery, 1993
How long does a broken femur take to heal?
OrthoInfo says most broken femur shafts take 3 to 6 months to heal completely. MedlinePlus says recovery most often takes 4 to 6 months; those are recovery months, while OrthoInfo’s figure describes the bone healing.
| Source and injury | Time | What the source describes |
|---|---|---|
OrthoInfo: femur shaft | Most heal in 3 to 6 months. | Complete bone healing. OrthoInfo says open fractures, breaks into several pieces, and tobacco use can lengthen healing. |
MedlinePlus: recovery | Most often 4 to 6 months. | Recovery depends on the break, skin wounds, injury to nerves and blood vessels, and treatment. |
Cleveland Clinic: surgery and full recovery | Usually 4 to 6 months after surgery; full recovery can take up to a year. | The clinic says at least a few months of physical therapy are needed to regain strength. |
Orthopaedic Trauma Association: femur shaft | About three months or more. | Full bone healing. The association says a bone that does not heal might need another operation. |
OrthoInfo: lower end of the femur | Typically 1 year or more for complete healing. | OrthoInfo says these injuries frequently need a period without weight on the leg; safe weightbearing may take 3 months or more of healing. |
Orthopaedic Trauma Association: lower end of the femur | Healing can take two to six months or more. | The association says weight on the injured leg might have to wait six to twelve weeks. |
The two sources give different healing times for the lower end of the femur; each source’s time is shown with its description. OrthoInfo says doctors allow as much weight as possible immediately after surgery in most cases of a broken femur shaft, but full weight may have to wait until healing has started. OrthoInfo says patients will probably need crutches or a walker when they begin walking.
Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo, "Femur Shaft Fractures (Broken Thighbone)"; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, "Femur fracture repair - discharge" (reviewed November 7, 2024); Cleveland Clinic, "Femur Fracture" (last updated June 9, 2026); Orthopaedic Trauma Association, "Femoral Shaft Fracture (Thigh Bone Break)"; OrthoInfo, "Distal Femur (Thighbone) Fractures of the Knee"; Orthopaedic Trauma Association, "Distal Femur Fracture (Broken Thigh Bone Near the Knee)"
What complications matter in a broken femur claim?
Pain after a rod, another operation, a bone that does not heal, and lasting changes in walking belong in the treatment and claim records. OrthoInfo lists slow healing or no healing, bone pieces left out of line, and irritation from the rod or screws among complications of a broken femur shaft.
Knee or hip pain after rod surgery
A 2001 study of 283 adults at one St. Louis trauma center found knee pain in 36% after a rod entered through the knee and 9% after a rod entered through the hip. The same St. Louis study found hip pain in 10% after entry through the hip and 4% after entry through the knee. The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says plates and screws near the knee might need removal after healing if they cause discomfort; when they do not cause discomfort, removal is usually unnecessary.
A bone that does not heal or heals out of line
StatPearls describes nonunion as a fracture that fails to heal or shows no healing signs for 6 months. At four hospitals in Victoria, Australia, a study of adults injured from 2007 to 2011 found that 13.6% with a femur shaft fracture returned within 2 years for surgery because a bone healed slowly, did not heal, or healed out of line. A Dutch university hospital study of 76 patients with rods, published in 2004, found that 28% had a bone turned 15 degrees or more out of line; those with twisting had trouble running, playing sports, and using stairs.
Fat embolism, pressure, and infection
OrthoInfo says marrow can enter the blood and travel to the lungs after a broken femur, with or without surgery; this is called fat embolism. In United States hospital discharge records from 1979 to 2005, a study of femur fractures outside the hip found fat embolism syndrome in 1.29% of patients with multiple femur fractures and 0.54% with an isolated fracture. A 2026 review by Japanese doctors describes the syndrome appearing 1 to 3 days after injury.
OrthoInfo says dangerous pressure within muscles, called acute compartment syndrome, may develop and is a surgical emergency; permanent disability may result unless the pressure is relieved quickly. OrthoInfo says bone infection after an open fracture is difficult to treat and often needs repeated operations and long-term antibiotics.
Blood clots and arthritis
OrthoInfo says blood clots may develop in leg veins after surgery for the lower end of the femur, and the doctor may give blood thinners. MedlinePlus lists shortness of breath or chest pain when breathing, a leg that is swollen, red, and warmer than the other, and calf pain among warning signs to report.
OrthoInfo says a break at the lower end of the femur that reaches the knee joint may leave an uneven joint surface, which can damage cartilage and lead to arthritis. The knee injury guide covers injuries to the joint.
Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo, "Femur Shaft Fractures (Broken Thighbone)"; Ricci and others, Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, 2001 (St. Louis); Orthopaedic Trauma Association, "Distal Femur Fracture (Broken Thigh Bone Near the Knee)"; StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf, "Femoral Shaft Fractures" (last updated January 2, 2023); Ekegren and others, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2018; Jaarsma and others, Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, 2004 (Netherlands); Stein and others, American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 2008; Miyake and others, Trauma Surgery and Acute Care Open, 2026; OrthoInfo, "Distal Femur (Thighbone) Fractures of the Knee"; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, "Femur fracture repair - discharge" (reviewed November 7, 2024)
Can you go back to work after a broken femur?
The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says people can usually return to their earlier activities after the femur heals. Keep track of the work you miss and any limits that continue after healing.
In one small 1993 study at a Canadian teaching hospital, 41 adults had a femur shaft fracture without another major injury. The study reported that “33 (80%) had returned to work full time in their original occupation at the time of follow-up”; four, or 10%, had other full-time jobs; three, or 7%, worked part time; and one, or 2%, was disabled and unable to work.
A 2012 Dutch university medical center study followed 59 patients with a femur shaft fracture and no other leg or pelvis injury for an average of 7.8 years after surgery; 17% still reported moderate to severe pain. For the lower end of the femur, OrthoInfo says returning to all everyday activities may take 1 year or more of rehabilitation. The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says that injured leg might stay weaker for months, and swelling can last for months or never fully disappear.
The AI calculator and attorney review use the treatment and work details you supply. Record months of therapy, missed work, further surgery, lasting pain, a limp, and a leg that is shorter or turns out of line.
Sources: Orthopaedic Trauma Association, "Femoral Shaft Fracture (Thigh Bone Break)"; Bednar and Ali, Canadian Journal of Surgery, 1993; el Moumni and others, Injury, 2012 (Netherlands); OrthoInfo, "Distal Femur (Thighbone) Fractures of the Knee"; Orthopaedic Trauma Association, "Distal Femur Fracture (Broken Thigh Bone Near the Knee)"
What should you do after a broken femur from a crash?
Keep your treatment and work records, ask about available insurance, and find your state’s lawsuit rules. Describe the limits you actually experience.
Save the hospital, surgery, and therapy records
Keep the emergency records, hospital records, surgery report, and therapy notes together. Keep the dates with each record and the report describing your rod or plates and screws.
Record missed work and limits each week
Write down the work you missed and the activities you cannot do. Include trouble with stairs, running, standing, and driving.
Wait until healing and future treatment are clear
Do not settle while the bone is still healing. OrthoInfo says pain usually ends well before a fracture is strong enough for normal activity. The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says bothersome plates and screws near the knee might need removal after healing; that second surgery is a future medical cost for the claim.
Read how maximum medical improvement affects settlement timing.
Ask for the policy limit and read your own policy
Ask the other driver's insurer for the policy limit. Look at your own policy for underinsured motorist coverage.
Read your state’s no-fault test
If your state has a no-fault law, find its row in the table above. Read whether the law names a fracture and which other conditions allow a pain and suffering claim.
Describe your limits truthfully
Tell your doctors and the insurers what you can and cannot do. An investigator hired by the other side can record video, so describe your limits truthfully when documenting your claim. In its July 9, 2026 opinion in Publix Supermarkets v. Goga, the Supreme Court of Florida described an earlier case in which a woman with a femur fractured by a vehicle lied about her limits: investigator videos exposed the lies, and the trial court dismissed her entire complaint with prejudice for fraud on the court.
Find your state’s filing deadline
Use the filing deadline table below for a claim against a person or company. Keep the deadline with your claim records.
Sources: OrthoInfo, "Fractures (Broken Bones)"; Orthopaedic Trauma Association, "Distal Femur Fracture (Broken Thigh Bone Near the Knee)"; Publix Supermarkets, Inc. v. Goga, No. SC2024-0669, Supreme Court of Florida, July 9, 2026
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Start the free AI calculatorWhat if you broke your femur at work?
An injury on the job belongs in the workers’ compensation guide. If your job injury happened in California or North Carolina, use the California workers’ compensation guide or the North Carolina workers’ compensation guide for that state. This page’s ranges concern claims against a person or company that caused a crash or fall.
How long do you have to file a broken femur claim?
California, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, Virginia, and Nevada set two-year deadlines under the laws below, with Florida’s date condition shown in its row. Washington allows three years for injury claims, and Colorado allows three years for motor-vehicle injury claims under the listed statutes. The legal name for a lawsuit’s filing deadline is the statute of limitations. These deadlines concern claims against people and companies.
| State | Filing deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| California | Two years | Code of Civil Procedure 335.1 |
| Texas | Two years | Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.003(a) |
| Illinois | Two years after the claim arises | 735 ILCS 5/13-202 |
| Georgia | Two years after the right to sue arises | OCGA 9-3-33, quoted in Williams v. Durden, Court of Appeals of Georgia, September 21, 2018 |
| Florida | Two years for negligence claims arising after March 24, 2023 | 95.11(5)(a) and chapter 2023-15 |
| Arizona | Two years | Arizona law: A.R.S. 12-542 |
| Washington | Three years | Washington law: RCW 4.16.080(2) |
| Colorado | Three years for motor-vehicle injury claims | Colorado law: C.R.S. 13-80-101(1)(n)(I), 2024 printout |
| Virginia | Two years | Virginia law: Va. Code 8.01-243(A) |
| Nevada | Two years | Nevada law: NRS 11.190(4)(e) |
Find the other states and more filing information in the personal injury filing deadline guide.
Sources: California Code of Civil Procedure 335.1; Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.003; Illinois 735 ILCS 5/13-202; Williams v. Durden, 347 Ga. App. 363, Court of Appeals of Georgia, September 21, 2018; Florida Statutes 95.11; Florida chapter 2023-15; Arizona A.R.S. 12-542; Washington RCW 4.16.080; Colorado C.R.S. 13-80-101 (2024); Virginia Code 8.01-243; Nevada NRS 11.190
Broken femur settlement questions
What is the average settlement for a broken femur?
Broken femur settlements have a national range of $150,000 to $400,000. Court awards cover all injuries in a case: the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, kept a $25,000 pain and suffering award in an unpublished 2011 crash case involving a broken femur and facial fractures. The New York Appellate Division kept already-reduced awards of $1.5 million for past pain and suffering and $2 million for future pain and suffering over 10 years in a 2015 crash case with a broken femur and other injuries.
How much compensation can I expect for a broken femur?
A broken femur has a national settlement range of $150,000 to $400,000. Your surgery, recovery, missed work, lasting limits, and available insurance belong in the claim review. Enter those details in the free AI calculator with attorney review.
Is a broken femur considered a serious injury?
New York’s no-fault definition of serious injury includes a fracture. Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Utah also name fractures in their tests; New Jersey names displaced fractures for the limitation-on-lawsuit option. Florida does not name a fracture in its list and instead requires one of its listed conditions, such as permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability.
Is a broken femur serious?
Yes. Cleveland Clinic describes a broken femur as a serious injury needing immediate medical care. The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says people with broken femurs often have other injuries, including injuries that can threaten life.
How long does it take for a broken femur to heal with rod and screws?
OrthoInfo says most femur shaft fractures heal completely in 3 to 6 months. OrthoInfo says some fractures take longer, especially with open wounds, several bone pieces, or tobacco use. Cleveland Clinic says recovery from broken femur surgery usually takes 4 to 6 months, and full recovery can take up to a year.
How long after a femur fracture can you walk?
OrthoInfo says doctors allow as much weight as possible right after surgery in most cases, but full weight may have to wait until the fracture starts healing. OrthoInfo says crutches or a walker will probably be needed when walking begins. For the lower end of the femur, the Orthopaedic Trauma Association says weight on the leg might have to wait 6 to 12 weeks.
How long is a hospital stay after a broken femur?
The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says patients will probably stay in the hospital for a few days after surgery. A 2022 study of 108,825 adults with a femur shaft fracture of one leg at United States trauma centers from 2007 to 2015 found an average hospital stay of 9.39 days; many patients also had other injuries.
Does the rod have to come out of a broken femur?
MedlinePlus says rods and plates do not need later removal most of the time. In a study of one Calgary trauma surgeon’s practice from 1990 to 2003, rods were removed after 20% of femur shaft fractures, or 15 of 74, all because of pain or irritation.
Can a broken femur cause pain years later?
Yes. A 2012 study at a Dutch university medical center found moderate to severe pain in 17% of 59 patients an average of 7.8 years after surgery for a femur shaft fracture; none had another leg or pelvis injury.
Does a broken femur count as a disability?
For an injury lawsuit in a no-fault state, the answer depends on your state’s no-fault test. For example, Minnesota’s test includes inability to do substantially all usual daily activities for 60 days or more; North Dakota’s test includes disability beyond 60 days. These are rules for injury lawsuits. The Orthopaedic Trauma Association says people can usually resume their earlier activities after the femur heals.
What if the other driver does not have enough insurance?
Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy can pay the remaining covered loss up to its policy limit. Texas law allows recovery of damages the insured is legally entitled to receive, up to the policy limit and reduced by amounts recovered or recoverable from the underinsured driver’s insurer. Texas also permits a named insured to reject this coverage in writing.
What if I broke my femur at work?
Use the workers’ compensation guides for an injury on the job. The ranges on this page cover claims against a person or company responsible for a crash or fall.
Sources: Lewis v. Avila, No. 1-09-2957, Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, February 1, 2011 (unpublished, Rule 23 order; the court's own copy); Coleman v. New York City Transit Authority, 134 A.D.3d 427, New York Appellate Division, December 3, 2015; Raffellini v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., 9 N.Y.3d 196, New York Court of Appeals, November 15, 2007; K.S.A. 40-3117; KRS 304.39-060; Massachusetts General Laws chapter 231, section 6D; Utah Code 31A-22-309 (effective May 6, 2026); DiProspero v. Penn, 183 N.J. 477, Supreme Court of New Jersey, June 14, 2005; Fla. Stat. 627.737 (2026); Cleveland Clinic, "Femur Fracture" (last updated June 9, 2026); American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo, "Femur Shaft Fractures (Broken Thighbone)"; Orthopaedic Trauma Association, "Femoral Shaft Fracture (Thigh Bone Break)"; Orthopaedic Trauma Association, "Distal Femur Fracture (Broken Thigh Bone Near the Knee)"; Obey and others, Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, 2022 (National Trauma Data Bank, 2007 to 2015); MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, "Femur fracture repair - discharge" (reviewed November 7, 2024); Hui and others, Canadian Journal of Surgery, 2007; el Moumni and others, Injury, 2012 (Netherlands); Minn. Stat. 65B.51; N.D.C.C. chapter 26.1-41; Texas Insurance Code chapter 1952
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Cite this data
SetCalc. "Broken Femur Settlement Calculator." Updated November 4, 2026. https://setcalc.com/guides/broken-femur-settlement-calculator.
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